Phyllis Spira Tuesday, 08 April 2008

BravoBrava Personality of the week, internationally acclaimed ballerina Phyllis Spira, recently died at the age of 64 at Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town. As a tribute, tonight’s broadcast will be devoted to Mixael’s interview with her a year ago.

After a foot injury in August last year in London, she underwent a series of operations on both legs.

Spira and her husband Philip Boyd, director of the company, Dance for All, had been accompanying the company's dancers, who were performing in London, when she injured her foot.

She underwent another emergency operation at the weekend after complications arose from a blood clot which had formed in her leg. She did not regain consciousness after the operation.

Spira was the only South African dancer to carry the title of Prima Ballerina Assoluta.

In 1964, she turned down an international career when she refused an invitation to dance with the legendary Rudolph Nureyev. She wanted only to be a full-time dancer in South Africa and joined the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) of those days.

Her dance career ended in 1988 after an injury on the opening night of Giselle.

In the foreword of Spira's biography by Amanda Botha, Phyllis Spira - A Tribute, Dame Margot Fonteyn praised Spira as a ballet dancer "who eminently enchanted her audience".

New Home for BravoBrava

BravoBrava has moved to 1485 Radio Today and countrywide on DStv Audio Channel 169.

Tuesday, 8 April 2008, Dr. Ivan Toms

In the almost 30 months of BravoBrava being on the air, three of our Personalities of the Week have passed away.
Last year veteran actor Patrick Maynard died while on a working visit to London. And, last month, South Africa’s greatest ballerina of her time, Phyllis Spira, passed away after surgery to her feet. Next Tuesday night we will be broadcasting a tribute cut from Mixael's interview with Phyllis.
A few days after the demise of Phyllis Spira, came the shocking news of the death of the 54-year old Ivan Toms, Director of City Health for Cape Town.
Ivan contracted meningitis and died, alone in his house, only hours after the first symptoms of this killer disease manifested.
Stunned friends and colleagues remember Ivan as a larger than life character who had tremendous energy and huge passion for the country he loved and served.
Small in stature he could never be ignored as he made his boisterous voice heard whether at an official function or in the corridors of the Civic Centre where his office had sweeping views of the city he so adored.
Last month he completed his umpteenth Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour. He felt passionately and deeply about things. He wanted to make a difference and he did.
Ivan was buried from St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Friday last week. Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, led the memorial service and said: “Ivor Toms was an utterly selfless and beautiful person. I thank God I met him.”
Toms is survived by a brother in Australia and his other great loves, his two Dalmatians, Timmo and Sammy.
In tonight’s broadcast we bring you highlights from the of BravoBrava interview with the late Ivan Toms.

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